Main Content

Elizabeth Hoffman Honness papers

CLRC.HONNESS

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held
at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Unless
otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our
reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Biography/History

Elizabeth Hoffman Honness was born on June 29, 1904 in Boonton, New Jersey. She graduated from Skidmore College in 1926, settling
in New York to write advertising copy for Macmillan Company, Century Company, and Shelton Looms from 1927 to 1934. She also
worked as the managing editor for the magazine
American Girl. She married Jesse Alfred McKaughan in 1936. That same year, she published her first children?s book,
The Tale of the Sorry Sorrel Horse. She went on to publish a series of mystery novels, including
Mystery of the Diamond Necklace (1954) and
Mystery at the Villa Caprice (1969), travelling extensively in order to research the various locations for her books. She also wrote two volumes of Bible
stories,
People of the Promise (1949) and
We are His People (1959). Her final novel,
The Spy at Tory Hole (1975) was a work of historical fiction for adults. She died on August 12, 2003.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains typescripts, galley proofs, and engraver's proofs for books by children's author Elizabeth Hoffman
Honness (1904-2003), including
Mystery in the Square Tower (1957),
Mystery of the Secret Message (1961), and
Mystery of the Pirate's Ghost (1966). There is also a small amount of correspondence between the publisher and printer regarding reset type for
Mystery of the Secret Message.

Arrangement note

This collection is arranged alphabetically in three series: 1. Mystery in the Square Tower; 2. Mystery of the Pirate's Ghost;
3. Mystery of the Secret Message. Within each series, materials are arranged in order of probable creation.

The galley proof and page proofs are housed in a box with the galley proofs from the Elizabeth Ripley papers.

Administrative Information

Publication Information

Finding Aid Author

Sponsor

The processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered
through the Council on Library and Information Resources? ?Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives? Project.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open to researchers by appointment. Please contact the Curator for information on access.

Use Restrictions

The right of access to material does not imply the right of publication. Permission for reprinting, reproduction, or extensive
quotation from the rare books, manuscripts, prints, or drawings must be obtained through written application, stating the
use to be made of the material. The reader bears the responsibility for any possible infringement of copyright laws in the
publication of such material. A reproduction fee will be charged if the material is to be reproduced in a commercial publication.